FoxNews.com: A federal judge on Wednesday blocked some of the toughest provisions in the Arizona immigration law putting on hold the states attempt to have local police enforce federal immigration policy. Though the rest of the law is still set to go into effect Thursday the partial injunction on SB 1070 means Arizona for the time being will not be able to require police officers to determine the immigration status of anyone they stop or arrest.
U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton also struck down the section of law that makes it a crime for someone not to carry immigration registration papers and the provision that makes it a crime for an illegal immigrant to seek or perform work.
In all Bolton struck down four sections of the law the ones that opponents called the most controversial. Bolton said she was putting those sections on hold until the courts resolve the issues.
Click here to read the Arizona immigration law.
The ruling said the Obama administration which sought the injunction is likely to succeed on the merits in showing the above provisions are preempted by federal law.
The ruling came just as police were making last-minute preparations to begin enforcement of the law and protesters were planning large demonstrations to speak out against the measure.
At least one group planned to block access to federal offices daring officers to ask them about their immigration status.
The volume of the protests will likely be turned down a few notches because of the ruling by Bolton a Clinton appointee who suddenly became a crucial
figure in the immigration debate when she was assigned the seven lawsuits filed against the Arizona law.
Lawyers for the state contend the law was a constitutionally sound attempt by Arizona -- the busiest illegal gateway into the country -- to assist federal immigration agents and lessen border woes such as the heavy costs for educating jailing and providing health care for illegal immigrants.
Opponents argued the law will lead to racial profiling conflict with federal immigration law and distract local police from fighting more serious crimes. The U.S. Justice Department civil rights groups and a Phoenix police officer had asked the judge for an injunction to prevent the law from being enforced.
The Associated Press contributed to
this Fox News report.
